CUTTER ANTS.....worst year in a decade

I stopped @ the Scorpion Ladies shop today, and she was out of Patron, most effective poison @ lakeside to control them. Last night they stripped the wife's night jasmine and a poinsettia tree.

If you have a problem with them google, and see why. There can be over a million in a nest, as much as 15 to 30 feet underground. There can be multiple queens. Sprinkle patron 2-6 feet away from entry along their trail, and the workers haul it down and infect the food supply. They are well organized, and fascinating. Spray a couple hundred/thousand with home defense, they die, but the workers remove them and they are gone in the morning.

Deb is so pissed...loves her night Jasmine.

I've always wanted to try corn meal...do you have any in the house? Set some out for them and see if they like it...apparently they eat it, it expands in their bellies and kills them. I set some out our first year here but they never came.

Chapalagringa wrote:I've always wanted to try corn meal...do you have any in the house? Set some out for them and see if they like it...apparently they eat it, it expands in their bellies and kills them. I set some out our first year here but they never came.

Chapalagringa, PLEASE spend a couple minutes and Google.....Cutter ants don't eat corn meal, they haul leaf cuttings down to the nest, or area they feed. Millions in a colony... Sumtimes ya crack me up...

Chapalagringa wrote:I've always wanted to try corn meal...do you have any in the house? Set some out for them and see if they like it...apparently they eat it, it expands in their bellies and kills them. I set some out our first year here but they never came.

Cutter Ants eat Johnie Cake??

hockables wrote:

Chapalagringa wrote:I've always wanted to try corn meal...do you have any in the house? Set some out for them and see if they like it...apparently they eat it, it expands in their bellies and kills them. I set some out our first year here but they never came.

Cutter Ants eat Johnie Cake??

HOCKS....TFF.....Yer turnin a Sirius subject into stupid.....and it did crack me up! Chap Gring has new fix for cutter ants....think I'll make em corn bread!

Lets meet for cervesa tomorrow ....gotta be cold u pick

Well, maybe it'll move em next door. You google it. Diatomaceous earth, borax, corn meal, add some ground hot pepper to that mix. Don't bake it. put some meal out there and tell the squirrels and cat to stay out of your trap cause it ain't their snack.

ok, just forget the corn meal, leaf cutter ants like to use it to grow fungus. That's all you need to go along with your squirrel and ant farm is fungus growing.

http://askabiologist.asu.edu/leafcutter-ant-colony

Fungus food: What do the ants feed the fungus? In our colonies, we give the ants leaves from green Palo brea trees. On top of that, we have also learned that the ants like to use cornmeal and oatmeal to grow the fungus.

lololol

Parker wrote:BTW, I just learned that if you find their trail “Home Defense” works just fine. And as far as I can tell HD is available at the big box stores. (Home Depot, Costco etc.)

It is indeed Parker, I bought my HD from Costco, delivered by Lakeside express, however, keep in mind this is a superficial fix, as it doesn't get the poison, like Patron, to the feeding area.

Good Luck, Jim W

Worst I've seen too! Raid can work for awhile. Still better to get Patron. They've been doing a job on our yard and Bugambilia around the Community. We use 3 cans of Raid last month.

They are horrible this year.

The lady at the nursery next to Telmex in Ajijic sells some stuff. It's a liquid, and she sells it in small plastic vials/jars. You can dilute it with water and spray your foilage with it. However, the best way to get rid of them is to find their nest and pour some of the liquid directly into the hole, undiluted. It really works.

Since they do their work mostly at night, it's difficult to find the nests. But I've noticed them out on the march in the mornings as well. Just find some "moving leafs" and follow those to where they go underground. It's easy and strangely satisfying when you find the nest and pour the stuff down the hole.